Luminous bodies



May 6, 1958 w. v. ETZKORN LUMINOUS BODIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1953 IN V EN TOR. Wa/fer V. Efz/rom United States Patent LUMINOUS BODIES Walter v. Etzkorn, Oakland, Calif. Application March 2, 1953, Serial No. 339,821

5 Claims. (Cl. 315-248) The present invention relates to improvements in luminous bodies, and its principal object is to provide certain improvements on my invention of Luminous Bodies described in my co-pending application, SerialNumber 163,381, filed on May 22, 1950, now Patent No. 2,644,113.

In my co-pending application it was proposed to provide a light transmitting body, either in the shape of a plastic tube, or in the form of a panel, having spaced volumes of luminous gas confined therein, a set of conductors or antennae disposed in adjacent relation to the volumes of gas, and means for impressing a high-frequency standing Wave upon the conductors for illuminating the gas.

It was further proposed to provide the tubes or other bodies in indeterminate lengths or sizes, to render the same available for any length or shape of advertising or display desired. i

In further pursuance of the subject, it was found that certain problems arose in the continuous illumination of an extended body which has. longitudinal dimensionsequal or greater than half a wave length.

Assuming, for instance, for the purposes of illustrating the invention, and not with any intention of limiting the invention, that it were desired to illuminate a continuous length of tube approximately 72 feet in length at a frequency producing a wave length on the antenna of approximately 72 feet, it is apparent that only the section of line on which high voltages exist would be efiective in illuminatingthe volumes of gas, while the low voltage sections would be inoperative for this purpose.

Roughly, it might be assumed that the effective highvoltage sections might be approximately equal in length to the inelfective low-voltage sections, which would produce a situation in which only intermittent sections of the gas volumes would be illuminated, while the intervening sections would remain dark, the dark sections being approximately equal to the illuminated sections.

In order to secure continuous illumination of the entire body, it became necessary, therefore, to eliminate the dark sections and to find some way in which the standing wave would be rendered operative to illuminate the entire body or all of the spaced volumes of gas within the body.

It is the object of the present invention to solve this problem and to provide means in connection with the 2,833,964 Patented May 6, I958 2 the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a length of my luminous tube with a representation of the voltage existing between conductors for the desired situation of high standing wave ratio shown in juxtaposition thereto; 7

Figure 2, a graphic representation of an antenna with low-voltage sections looped out;

Figure 3, a preferred form of antenna circuit having my invention incorporated therein;

Figure 4, an illustration of the luminous tube made in accordance with my invention; and v I Figure 5, a horizontal section through a panel made in accordance with my invention.

While I have shown only the preferred forms ofmy invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Figure 1 shows a flexible luminous tube 1 made in accordance with the teachings of the co-pending application, of li'gh ransmitting material, freely bendable, and having a lo g tudinal series of spaced volumes of gas i iCCIPQi'fit d lhfifiib the gas being adapted for illumination by high-frequency currents.

. The tube may be made of any suitable, flexible, plastic material having the desired characteristics, such as plastic known in the market as Tyson, .or polyethylene, aid the gas may be in the form of a 7 mm. helium-giganmercury fill, possibly mixed in the rspcaion or 2% helium, 9.8% argon and a visible droplet of mercury.

It should be noted, however, that both the plastic and the gas are available in the market in so many variations that I do not desire to limit myself to any particular other glass, which will transmit a relatively large amount of ultra-violet light or near ultraviolet light astaught in my prior Patent 2,644,113, issued June 30, 1953, The tube may be of practically any plastic since the physical properties of the ampoul'es themselves would pro ide suffic-ient rapidity to sustain the necessary negative pressures therein.

Two antennae 3 are shown as being disposed on opposite sides of the tube, but are preferably placed inside of the tube. More antennae may be provided, of course, if desired.

The length of the tube may be, for illustration only, approximately 72 feet, corresponding to the wave length of the standing high-frequncy wave 4 shown in juxtaposi tion to the tube.

The wave is shown as presenting high-voltage sections 5 and intermediate low-voltage sections 6, the former being capable of illuminating the volumes 2 of gas disposed opposite the same, while the low-voltage sections 6 are inoperative for this purpose, as indicated by shading of the volumes of gas not illuminated.

The dividing lines 7 between the highand low-voltage sections have been drawn arbitrarily, but for the purposes of this invention, it may be assumed that the two sections are approximately equal in length. The volumes opposite the high-voltage sections are rendered luminous, while the volumes opposite the low-voltage sections are inoperative. The result is alternate sections of effective equal length tubing, where the volumes are either luminous 0] dark.

It should be remembered that the dimensions mentioned 3 are absolutely arbitrary, and are only selected to illustrate the principle of my invention.

In order to insure a continuous lighting effect throughout the length of the tube and to eliminate the dark sections, it is proposed in the present invention to reduce the active length of the low-voltage sections along the length of the tube, and to concentrate the same into a small area, as is graphically illustrated in Figure 2.

The antenna 8 is shown as having'spaced sections 9 corresponding to the low-voltage sections of the standing wave looped out of the antenna, so as to leave a series of sections 10 corresponding to the high-voltage sections of the standing wave to form a practically continuous line along the length of the tube. The low-voltage sections of the antenna are thus substantially eliminated from the active length of the antenna, and the latter presents a substantially continuous line of high-voltage sections to the luminous volumes.

A practical way of looping the low-voltage sections of the antenna out of the latter is shown in Figure 3, in which lumped-constant circuits or networks 11 are used for this purpose. The networks are well-known in the industry, and the network shown is known as a lumpedconstant Pi network. One form might consist of a series inductance 12 and two shunt capacitors 13, as in the drawing. The reactance of all three elements is a magnitude equal to the characteristic impedance of the loaded line for an effective length of a quarter of a wave. Practical considerations dictate a balanced form of the networks.

To obtain the desired high standing wave ratio and yet place the first voltage maximum a desired distance from the end of the line so that all sections have a maximum length, an inductance may be used as a termination, as at 14. As an example, to simulate a shorted eighth wave length of line at the end, an inductance having a magnitude of reactance equal to the characteristic impedance of the loaded line would be used.

The completed line then, might consist, of a highfrequency generator or oscillator 15, and of high-voltage quarter wave sections separated by the lumped-constant quarter-wave networks 11, and finally terminated by an eighth wave lumped inductance 14.

Since the typical network consists only of a small coil and small condensers, its physical size is insignificant, about the size of a one inch cube, and the networks may be readily incorporated in the tube, as shown in Figure 4.

An application of my invention to a panel is illustrated in Figure 5. The panel 16 may be constructed of any desired light-transmitting material, preferably plastic, and may be formed with a' number of channels providing a continuous passage through the panel, as shown in the drawing.

The spaced volumes of gas, in the form of ampoules 18, are arranged in the passage in spaced order, as shown, and the two antennae 19 follow the course of the passage, in adjacent relation to the ampoules. A lumpedconstant network 20 is introduced into the antennae midway the length thereof, and a terminating coil 21 connects the ends of the antennae.

I claim:

1. An illuminating device adapted to be illuminated by a high frequency standing wave having high voltage sections operative for illuminating and low voltage sections inoperative for this purpose, comprising a light transmissive body assembly having an eifective length of at least about one-half wave length of the illuminating high frequency standing wave, said body assembly incoporating a series of discrete, confined and sealed spaces containing a low pressure ionizable gas, and antenna means for propagating the illuminating high frequency standing wave, said antenna means including a pair of conductors extending along the effective length of the body assembly adjacent the spaces containing said gas and interrupted only for short lengths by means concentrating the low voltage sections of the standing wave into small areas spaced approximately one-quarter wave length apart.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the last mentioned means includes an inductance in series with one of said conductors and a pair of capacitors in shunt across said conductors.

3. The device according to claim 2 which includes an inductor connecting the ends of the conductors at one end thereof to replace the low voltage section at the end of the standing wave.

4. The device according to claim 1 which includes an inductor connecting the ends of the conductors at one end thereof to replace the low voltage section at the end of the standing wave.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said body assembly includes a series of substantially parallel sections, said conductors extending throughout the lengths of allot said sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,142,633 Dey Jan. 3, 1939 2,184,530 Penney Dec. 26, 1939 2,644,113 Etzkorn June 30, 1953 

